Analysis: Problem of automobile interior air pollution gaining more attention in China

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai) - Recent incidents involving strange and potentially harmful odors in several Chinese Mercedes-Benzes have helped refocus attention on the issue of automobile interior air pollution. In those cases, third parties contracted by Mercedes owners found that the amount of formaldehyde, a cancer causing chemical, in their vehicles was to be over four times greater than national standards. However, Beijing Benz refused to accept the assessments. The manufacturer's refusal to acknowledge the problem highlights the fact that China lacks legal standards governing automobile indoor air quality.

Gasgoo.com (Chinese) held a short survey on the issue of the government's lack of standards on automobile indoor air pollution last week. A total of 982 industry experts and analysts participated in the survey.

The first question of the survey was directly aimed at the heart of the problem. Participants were asked to estimate what percentage of Chinese vehicles possesses interiors whose air quality is harmful to human health. The majority of respondents, 52 percent, estimated that over 90 percent of all Chinese vehicle interiors pose such a danger. 22 percent answered that 50 percent to 90 percent of Chinese vehicles fit in that category, while another 22 percent were undecided. Only four percent voted for the 20 percent to 50 percent category, while the 20 percent or less category received no votes.

This sort of result is not entirely surprising. Firstly, the lack of any legal standards governing automobile interior air quality allows manufacturers to simply ignore the issue. Whether in procuring materials or during production, manufacturers do not have to worry about interior air pollution. Furthermore, China has no authoritative third party organizations in the field, which makes the problem even more worrying for industry figures and the general public. The increasing number of cases related to vehicle interior air quality is further proof that this is a real issue in the country's automobile market.

There have been several recent tests comparing the interiors of Chinese automobiles to national air quality standards for building and household interiors. The results of these tests have been very disappointing. One such examination, conducted by the China National Interior Decoration Association, looked at the interiors of 200 different automobiles. They found that nearly 90 percent of the interiors of all tested automobiles contain excessive amounts of formaldehyde or benzene, with the majority of them having a formaldehyde content five to six times greater than the national standard. The Shenzhen Academy of Metrology and Quality Inspection conducted a similar test of new vehicles that had been driven six months or less. In that test, 70 percent of the vehicle interiors were found to possess degrees of harmful airborne substances well above national standards.

However, poor and potentially harmful automobile interiors have not dulled consumer demand. Over the last few years, new automobile sales in China have grown tremendously. The fact is, for a great number of first time buyers, simply owning a vehicle is much more important than the health risks associated with bad air quality. Furthermore, manufacturers also have no legal motivation to resolve the problem, allowing it to stay out of the public eye for a long amount of time. Several analysts believe that a lack of external force has kept manufacturers from addressing the issue.

When asked which classes of vehicles they believe are most prone to poor interior air quality issues, survey participants' answers were mixed. 36 percent of them were undecided. Interestingly, 35 percent of participants answered that vehicles that pride themselves on safety and environmental friendliness are the most prone to the issue, while another 23 percent said that the problem is most common in luxury vehicles.

Indoor air pollution in automobiles primarily originates from leather, textiles, plastics and adhesives used in vehicle interiors. Benzene, formaldehyde and dimethylbenzene are often spread on these materials. These chemicals are harmful to breathing and immunization systems. These materials are used on vehicles of automobiles of all types, so it is hard to classify which segment's vehicles are most susceptible to interior air pollution problems.

Finally, participants were asked whether or not they feel the government should release stricter standards administering automobile indoor air quality. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of participants, 90 percent, supported the introduction of such standards, saying that the problem is a public health issue of the highest importance. Only four percent disagreed, maintaining that manufacturers would be hard pressed to accept changes, while six percent remained undecided.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection's current automobile interior air quality standards, known as the Guideline for Air Quality Assessment of Passenger Car, lists maximum concentrations of benzene, methylbenzene, dimethylbenzene, ethylbenzene, styrene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and propylene. These eight substances are the primary causes of indoor air pollution. The Guideline did help bring attention to the issue, but the lack of any legal implications means that it failed in pressuring manufacturers to fix the problem. It goes without saying that it is not in the interest of automobile manufacturers for there to be stricter legislation on the topic. However, increased consumer awareness and actions by certain enterprises, such as Volvo, are all helping speed along the process, guaranteeing that the introduction of new policies is just a matter of time.

Experts advise manufacturers to make use of the time before new policies are announced to begin resolving the issue. Geely and Volvo have already begun paying attention to the problem, with Geely Chairman Li Shufu having previously spoken out on the issue.